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N- PETERSVPHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON D C @eine tant datent ffice.

W1 LL1-A M`B1ncn, en y e LN C .I'N'N A Ti, on i Letters Patent1170.611924, dated 7l/[arch 1867.

' ntPROVEMENT ni STEAM-Ensure SLIDE VALVES.

TO ALL WHOM 1T MAY CONCERN:

Bo it known that I, WILLIAM BII'RCII, of the' city of"Cincinnati,i11 theState of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inBalanced Slide Valves; and I do hereby leclure that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of -thc same, rei`erence being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters and marks thereon. Ofthesedrawings, forming-part of this speciication Figure 1 is a sectionallfront view ot' a valve chest, with a slider vulve and yoke, having myinvention as a part thereof. l i I l Figui-e2 is a sectional end view'oithe same; and v Figure 3 is a top view of a rcctangulanfram'efor box,which 1 call a packing frame-showing the packing strips, Etc.. v

In each of these figures where like parts are shown'like .marks andletters'areusedto indicato the parts.

i This improvement' caube used in connection, with any ordinary dat orslide valve to convert'the same-into a balanced valve by being castsolid or separately' from 'the common slide valve just as parties using.the in'v'eution may prefer; and the improvement is applicable'tolocomotive, stationary, marine, or any other engine using 'a slidevalve. i I y i v'lhe' cl.ri1.wings show within a* valve chest, thevsides of which are marked a and the bottom plate b, a. slide valve, c,with yoke, Land stem, e,`t he exhaust and steam ports being indicated in6g. 2 b-y depressionsin the bottom plate hund the steam-pipe connectionbeing indicated bydotted lines in iig. l.. A box or frame,f,viisattached to the upper yside of thc valve containing packing strips orbars, g, and an oil. and air valve, 7:., const'ructedvwith strong ribs,tf, cast on toer extending 'from the bottom, to strengthen .the packingframe and also afford protection to the bolts j'that' pass through theribs fastening the packing box or frame to the top of the slide valve.The holtsthus protected will not be liable to oe cut by the steam. Smallholes', c, through the outside and bottomvoi' lthe frame will admit thesteam by which the packing Will be kept steamtight aga-inst the insiderib Z oi' the i'rzne and. against thelid'or cover ofthe valve chest.Small springs, m, are placed in cav-ities inthe frametoaiil yin keepingthe packing strips in 'place and against the underside of the lid ofthevn-lve chest. The packing strips are on the'break-joint principle,as' shown'hy tig.v3, the inner` bars being solid'at the angles wheretheouterbars ar'e broken Vo rjointed and broken, orjoined at pointswhere the outer. barszire solid, thus presenting r'irm and tight packingat'all parts to the pressure of the steam. l A valve, h, isl placed ina'hole in the centroof the packing frame. 'The stemoi` thisvalve hasthree iin-t or hollow sides', o, in the form of a triangle and a nut orhead on top of' stern marked-p, with 'grooves or arches on the under.side of it. This valve is kept tightwby the stemlrlthatpasseslunderneath it, and-between 'the packing 'frame and top of the slidevalve,

preventing anysteam from lgetting through -its seat' to thev top. of thepacking-framewhile steam isbeing used, 'but the moment that steam isshutl off, this valve drop-s down and rests onthepoints of the nut orhead above,

and the oil will then ilowdownlunder..the nut or-headand down the stemand sidesof the valve and he deposited on the face of the slide valveand seat. This' Valve forms a relief to the cylinder and dry or steam,-pipe in locomotive engines by admitting sufficient air to themtoprevent any danger of the steamv pipes collapsing,l

which will sometimes occur when the pipe is made of copper or wroughtiron, which most oflocomotive steam pipes are.v The moment that steam isadmitted into the chest thevalv'e rises to its place again and becomesas tightV as before. The steam or valve-chest cover g is shown with anoffset suiiieiently high to admit my .improvementl on theftop of theslide valve. The cover should'be planed true on the under side-for thepacking to work against. New chests may be made suiciently high to usemy invention without having the offset. A comgnorr oil cup, 1', withouta valve, is aiixed in the cover ofv the chest, so that,'wliile the oilmay be fed through it, it will also serve, iu'- case any' steam shouldaccumulate on the top of thepacking frame byany means, for itsimmediate-escape,l thus leaving the packing frame entirely dry and freeof steam, and allowing: aiijto enter tothe v alve The admitting ofairthrough the valve h intol the steam chest and eylinder'will preeut avacuumv in the 'cylinder when the piston travelsafter stezim vis shutom' The area of the packing frame should.`

be equal to that of the face of'the slide valve, and 'the steam willthen' exert the same pressure both up and down on to the slide vulveandngainst the under side of'thepaeking frame., I I

62,924. 2 A v l l What/I claim as my invention, and desire to securevbyLetters Patent, is- 1. Inthe rectangular or square frame, thearmugemelit of )the straight and angular packing strips, t'o be expandedby steam in the manner described. i A 2. VThe valve in the packngframeto admit oi to the steam or vlve chest, and. also admit air to Prevent avacuum in the cylinder and steam pipe.

mms spciiimion"signed this 5th day of November', 1866.

' WILLIAM BIRCH. Witnessesz u GEO'. W. CENNANY, JAMES jSAFFIN.

